Another Dark and Stormy Night
by suzie2b
Summary: A sequel to "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night," which I posted on 1/18/2017


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Another Dark and Stormy Night**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol was sent to the** **Ksour Mountains in the Saharan Atlas Range, where they had destroyed a cave that contained German supplies and ammo two months prior. This time they were to find out if the reports were true that the Germans had returned to that area.**

 **By the time they got to the mountains it was too late to start their search for German activity and it had begun to rain. A tent was quickly erected from their camouflage tarps.**

 **It was late, almost midnight, and Tully was on watch. He leaned against a tree in between circuits around camp hoping to stay as dry as possible, but fat drops of water fell from the tree branches and continually dripped off his helmet. Let's just say Tully was damp and miserable.**

 **Another drip went down the back of his collar and Tully shivered in his damp clothes, even though it wasn't cold and he was wearing a rain poncho. There was a rustling sound and the crack of a twig that made him jump. His heart began to race as he waited to see what was coming. After a minute Tully saw two points of reddish light through the inky darkness. They were like eyes staring at him and he froze as he stared back.**

 **A voice behind him said, "Wasn't it raining the last time we were here?"**

 **Tully nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around to find Hitch standing there in his own poncho. He put his hand over his heart and could feel it pounding through his clothing. Tully quickly turned and looked back into the trees, but the "eyes" were gone.**

 **Hitch clicked on his flashlight and asked worriedly, "Hey, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."**

 **Tully turned back to his friend and said a little too quickly, "I'm fine!"**

" **Um … okay. Why don't you go get some sleep?"**

 **Tully looked around as he replied, "Yeah … Yeah, I think that's a good idea."**

 **But Tully didn't sleep. He laid on his bedroll listening to Moffitt and Troy's soft snores and the rain that pelted the canvas covering them. He was hypersensitive to every little sound and every time he closed his eyes he saw the shaggy creature that had attacked him the last time they were on the mountain.**

 **#################**

 **Tully had crawled out of the tent when the rain had stopped. The clouds were parting and dawn was on the horizon. He slivered a stick of TNT to get the wet wood to start burning and quietly set about putting water on for coffee and tea.**

 **A short time later Tully walked out to where Moffitt was standing watch with a mug in each hand. The sergeant had removed the poncho he'd been wearing before the rain stopped and had hung it on a low, broken branch to dry. Tully handed one mug to his friend and said, "Thought you might like some tea."**

 **Moffitt smiled as he took the offering. "Thank you, Tully, this is very thoughtful of you." As he sipped the warm liquid, Moffitt could smell the coffee Tully was drinking. "Did you get any sleep last night?"**

" **Not really."**

" **I thought not. That coffee's strong enough to give you a buzz for days. The only other one that will drink that straight is Troy."**

 **Tully managed a slight smile. "True. I set the sugar out for Hitch."**

 **Moffitt asked, "How are you holding up?"**

" **I'm fine, sarge. Why?"**

" **Well, considering what happened last time we were here and Hitch mentioned you were a little jumpy when he came to relieve you…"**

 **Tully shrugged. "I did think I saw something last night that made me nervous for a while … but it turned out to be nothin'."**

 **After a few minutes, he wandered back to camp to find Troy sipping a mug of coffee. The sergeant said, "Good coffee this morning."**

 **Tully nodded his thanks, then asked, "Isn't Hitch up yet?"**

 **Troy shrugged. "He must be. He wasn't in the tent when I woke up."**

 **Tully felt his heart skip a beat as fear tightened his stomach and he thought silently, "What if…"**

 **Then they heard the rustling of bushes and turned to see Hitch coming towards them as he tucked in his shirt. "Morning, sarge, Tully. Good to see that it's stopped raining."**

 **Troy said, "Yeah, it'll make our job a little easier."**

 **Hitch poured coffee into a mug, took a sip, made a face, and reached to the sugar. "When are starting, sarge."**

" **After breakfast, which you're going to make." Troy looked at Tully and said, "Walk with me."**

 **Tully followed the sergeant into the trees, then asked, "What's up, sarge?"**

 **Troy took another drink from his mug before he said, "Are you going to be okay with this assignment?"**

" **Yeah, sure … why?"**

 **Troy stopped and faced the private next to him. "I saw your reaction when I told you Hitch wasn't in the tent. You thought someone … or something had grabbed him, didn't you?"**

 **Tully hesitated and briefly thought about lying to the sergeant, but said, "There** _ **was**_ **a second there when I thought that."**

" **So, I'll ask again. Are you going to be okay with this assignment?"**

 **Tully confessed with a sigh, "Now that it's daylight I'll be okay. I'll admit last night, when I couldn't see what might be in the trees, I kept feeling like I was being watched."**

 **Troy gave a nod. "All right, good enough. But if you start having any problems, don't hesitate to tell any of us. Got it?"**

" **Yeah, sarge, I got it."**

" **Okay, let's go get something to eat so we can get this show on the road."**

 **#################**

 **After breakfast, things were quickly cleaned and packed up, then the tents were disassembled so the jeeps could be covered.**

 **The four Allies trudged through the undergrowth among the trees, looking for any signs of the enemy. As the sun rose, the forest began to steam and it wasn't too long before last night's rain was just a memory.**

 **At noon they stopped for a K-ration lunch. As they ate, Moffitt checked the map. He swallowed then pointed to a spot and said, "We're right in here at the moment. Captain Boggs' information says that if we don't find the Germans around here, we should move west. That's where the cave system is. It could be they're going to try for another supply cache."**

 **Troy nodded. "Yeah. It could be."**

 **Hitch snorted and said, "No one says the Germans are smart. We blew up the last one and we'll blow up this one too."**

" **Well, give credit where it's due. Tully was the one who blew that cave up."**

 **Moffitt caught Tully staring out into space. "Everything all right, Tully?"**

 **He sighed. "Yeah, I was just thinking about that cave I blew up."**

" **I'm sure 'It' was buried in the rubble."**

 **Tully nodded silently and went back to his lunch as he thought to himself, "What if there's more of 'them' out here. What if…"**

 **Troy interrupted his musings when he said, "Okay, finish up. We need to get going."**

 **#################**

 **After lunch, they headed west towards the caves. Small rodents and lizards scurried through the undergrowth and up trees as the four men passed. Birds flew among the branches calling to each other.**

 **The four Allies moved cautiously, listening for any sounds that didn't belong in the forest. Moffitt suddenly stopped and said quietly, "Listen."**

 **Troy looked around and said, "I don't hear anything."**

 **Tully frowned. "That's what he means. Everything's gone quiet."**

 **Hitch said, "We must be getting close to the caves by now."**

 **Troy nodded. "Yeah. Tully, take point. Keep your eyes open."**

 **Without a word Tully took the lead while Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch spread out behind him, but kept within sight of one another. The silence was eerie.**

 **They moved as quietly as possible through the brush, using the trees as cover. Tully broke into the clearing ahead of the others. What he saw stunned and frightened him.**

 **Troy saw that Tully had stopped before he stepped out of trees. "What's going on…" He stepped up next to the private and looked around the clearing and said quietly, "Oh my God."**

 **Moffitt and Hitch stepped into the clearing and froze at the sight before them. Five supply trucks sat where they'd been parked. Bodies were strewn all around. Moffitt looked around, noticing the uniforms, and said, "They are … or were German."**

 **They moved further into the clearing, scanning the bodies. Hitch finally said, "They've been ripped apart, sarge."**

 **Moffitt said, "I count twelve here. There may be more inside the caves."**

 **Troy said, "Hitch, Tully, check those caves. Be careful."**

 **There had been four caves in the system before Tully had blown one of them up the last time they were there. Moffitt had been right. Hitch and Tully found more bodies as they walked into the first cave.**

 **They walked a ways back, until they came to the edge of darkness. Tully came to halt and whispered, "I'm not going back there."**

 **Hitch nodded his understanding. "I'll just go a bit farther. You wait here."**

 **Tully waited as Hitch disappeared into the dark with a flashlight. "Hitch, talk to me!"**

" **I'm coming back." When Hitch reappeared, he said, "There's nothing back there."**

 **They went to the next cave and found a single lantern guttering in a corner. Bodies lay around in the same condition as the others. German supplies had been stacked inside and some of the wooden crates had been torn open.**

 **The dim light suddenly went out as the fuel finally ran out. Hitch took Tully's arm and said, "Let's get out of here."**

 **Hitch and Tully met Troy and Moffitt outside. Troy asked, "What'd you find?"**

 **Hitch replied, "More bodies in these two caves and German supplies in that one. We haven't checked the third yet."**

 **Troy looked at Tully and said, "Hitch, you and Moffitt check that last cave. Tully, you're with me." Moffitt led Hitch to the cave and they disappeared inside as Tully watched. Troy put a hand on Tully's shoulder. "Come on. Let's check those trucks."**

 **Two were empty. The other three had obviously been in the process of being unloaded. Then they began to drag the bodies into the middle of the clearing.**

 **When Moffitt and Hitch returned, Moffitt said, "Ammunition, guns, and grenades. And several more bodies."**

 **Troy asked, "What was in the other caves?"**

 **Hitch pointed to one and said, "Bodies and supplies of different kinds in there, but no munitions. The other was empty except for the bodies. I went back with a flashlight, but didn't find anything."**

" **Two of the trucks are empty. The others still have some crates in them and some of those have been ripped open."**

 **Moffitt looked at Tully as he dropped a body with the others and turned to go for another. "How's he handling things?"**

 **Troy said, "As well as can be expected. He hasn't said a word."**

 **Tully dragged another body over to add to the growing pile and Moffitt asked, "You're not thinking of a mass grave are you?"**

 **Troy shook his head and said, "Hitch, go get a can of gas."**

 **#################**

 **All tolled there were twenty-eight bodies laid out in two piles. Wood was added to each. Hitch bored gas on both and Tully lit them. It wasn't long before thick, black smoke was rising into the sky to mix with the growing cloud cover.**

 **Before it got dark Troy and Hitch went to bring the jeeps up while Moffitt and Tully kept an eye on the fires with kerchiefs tied around their noses and mouths against the smell.**

 **Later on, after Troy and Hitch returned with the jeeps, a thunderstorm began to move in. Hitch asked, "Want the tent set up again, sarge?"**

 **Troy shook his head. "No, we'll use one of the caves for cover if need to. Cover the jeeps in case it rains again. The seats are still drying after last night's soaking."**

 **Wood was continually added to the fires to keep them hot and going throughout the night. The thunderstorm turned into a heat storm—producing lightning and thunder, but any rain evaporated before reaching the ground. And it seemed to be stalled right overhead.**

 **Tully volunteered to take first watch, since he figured he wouldn't sleep anyway. He had slung his machine gun's strap over his shoulder so he could carry an armload of wood for the fires.**

 **Lightning flashed, briefly lighting the clearing before thunder crashed and rolled loudly. In that second of light Tully thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He dropped the wood and grabbed his weapon as he spun around. Another flash from the sky showed him nothing as thunder let go again. Hoping that it was his imagination, Tully shouldered his gun and began retrieving the wood in the light of the fires.**

 **After dropping several pieces on each of the fires, Tully did a circuit around the perimeter of the clearing. Even the lightning couldn't penetrate the forest enough to afford more than a dim light among the trees and with every flash, he thought he saw movement—first a glimpse of movement between the trees, then the undergrowth would move as if something had run by a moment before. There were sounds between the crashing of thunder too. Not normal nighttime sounds, but low guttural grunts and chattering noises. And then it was there. An especially bright flash momentarily revealed a tall, shaggy figure standing not ten feet away. Tully gasped and jumped back, bringing his machine gun around and let loose a burst of bullets into the again dark forest.**

 **Though the thunder had masked the gunfire, Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch heard it plain as day. They ran out of the cave and searched for Tully with flashlights. They found him standing at the edge of the clearing, staring into the dark forest.**

 **The three of them ran across the clearing with guns in hand as Troy called, "What happened?"**

 **Tully turned to them as a flash of lightning showed his pale face and wide eyes. Moffitt eased the machine gun out of the private's shaking hands as he asked, "What did you see, Tully?"**

"' **It' is still out there."**

 **Troy frown. "Hitch, take a look around … but don't leave the clearing."**

 **He nodded. "Right, sarge."**

" **Moffitt, stay close to the fires and keep an eye on Hitch. I'll take Tully inside."**

 **Tully was barely beyond the entrance of the cave when he sat down and stared out at the clearing. Troy grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his friend's shoulders as he knelt down next to him and said quietly, "Whatever it was, Tully, died in the other cave when it exploded."**

 **Tully swallowed anxiously, then said, "But what if it did get out?" He turned his head to look at the sergeant. "What if there are more of them out there?"**

 **Troy wasn't sure how to handle this, but said, "Tully, I have no doubt you saw 'something', but…"**

" **It stood upright and was big and shaggy just like before."**

" **It could've been a German that escaped the massacre, or an animal. The lightning…"**

 **Tully shook his head adamantly. "No, sarge, I saw 'It'."**

 **Troy sighed. "Okay, Tully. You stay here while I go talk to Moffitt."**

 **He nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around him.**

 **Troy walked out to where Moffitt stood close to the fires as Hitch joined them. "See anything, Hitch?"**

" **I used the flashlight and didn't see a thing."**

" **Could it be one or more of the Germans is still alive?"**

 **Moffitt said, "This attack happened a day or so before the rains last night. It could be that someone survived, but didn't make it out when the others escaped."**

 **Hitch said, "But if someone did survive, why didn't they take one of those trucks and drive out. It could've been an animal."**

 **Troy said, "Tully said it was standing upright and was shaggy."**

 **Moffitt offered, "Perhaps he saw a Barbary ape."**

 **Hitch said, "By the condition of the bodies, it could've been a leopard."**

" **It would've had to be more than just one to kill so many armed men and then get away."**

 **Troy shook his head. "I just don't know. We'll keep the fires going until daylight, then we'll get outta here."**

 **No one slept the remainder of the night.**

 **##################**

 **When morning dawned, the storm was gone and the sky was clear. They didn't even make time for coffee. As soon as the fires ashes were spread out to make sure they were fully extinguished, and the jeeps were loaded, they headed down the mountain.**

 **The jeeps traversed the bumpy road easily and all four men kept their eyes opened for any signs of life. All they heard over the sound of the engines was birds in the trees. Once they were back in the desert, Troy would radio headquarters.**

 **As the clearing was swallowed by the forest behind them, what they couldn't see were the four big, shaggy figures watching them go.**


End file.
